Self-cleaning precipitator



M. P. LAUGHLIN.

SELF CLEANING PRECIPITATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1919.

1,4 1 2,248. atented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2.

Ill IIHHIIIH ahventoz fliitomwn f Fat c MYRON P. LAUGHLIN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNO'R TO RESEARCH CORPO- RATION,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF-CLEANING IERECII'I'LA'I'OR.

' Application filed June 5,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRoN P. LAUoHLI'N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Cleaning Precipitators,-of which the following is -a specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for electrically separating from a gas stream particles held in suspension therein and more particularly to apparatus of the selfcleaning type.

It is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus which may be operated continuously to separate suspended particles from gases.

It is a more particular object to provid means for periodically cleaning both the discharge and collecting electrodes without in any way interfering with the precipitating efliciency of the apparatus.

The invention consists briefly in intermittently moving a multiple-unit precipitator and a cleaning device relatively to one another and successively cleaning the various sections during the interval between the movements.

For a fuller understanding of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section on line 11 in Fig. 2-

Fig-:2 is a plan view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail;

Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the supporting frame;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view of a detail;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the operating mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof.

For the furtherpurposes of this invention it is not material whether the treater or the cleaning device is moved. In order to explain the principles of operation I have shown in the form of an example a device in which the treateris moved whilev the cleaning device occupies a. fixed position.

Having reference to Fig. 1, the gas t be cleaned enters the apparatus through the inlet 10, passes upwardly into the header or manifold 11 and thence into the treater fluos 1919. Serial No. 302,059.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr 11-, 19 22 or pipes 12'which form the collecting electrodes. The cleaned gas passes out of the apparatus at the top of the pipes 12 into the atmosphere or may be collected for further I I ,by-radial arms 14 which are in turn carried.

by an insulating disk 15 being securedthereto in uniform angularly spaced relation as shown in Fig. 2. The insulating disk 15 may be made of micarta or other suitable material and serves the double function of supporting arms 14 ing them from the ratus.

The electrode structure, the pipes 12 as well as the discharge electrodes 13, are revolublymounted'upon the header 11. Upon a central turn table 16 is mounted the frame supporting the pipe structure comprising a bottom disk 17, a cylinder 18 and a top disk 19, suitable ball bearings 20 being interposed between turn table 16' and disk 17 to reduce the friction. A shaft 21 is keyed to the disks 17 and 19'and may extend above the pipestructure to support the insulating disk 15. To-securely hold the discharge electrode system in position relatively to the pipe structure, the disk 15 may be bolted to the top disk 19 and held in definitely spaced position thereto by means of a spacer ring 22 or other .suitable means.

A spring contact finger 23 is attached to each arm and extends upwardly into contact with a disk 24' of conducting material rigidly suspended from a support by means of an insulator 25. The disk 24 may be directly connected to; the source of supply or indirectly as for instance through a rectifier (not shown). The disk 24 has a notch 26 inits periphery of an angular extent in excess of the width of a finger 23 so that, when a finger comes opposite the notch, contact with the disk is broken and the discharge electrodes connected with the particular finger are electrically separated or isolated from the source.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, the annular and electrically insulatheader 11 has a chamber 11' partitioned 0% by walls 27 and 28 from the rest of the header and designed to receive any precipitate that may be removed from the electrodes directly above it.

The chamber 11 lies in the same radial plane as the notch 26 in disk 24 so that a treater unit whose spring finger 23 happens to be opposite the notch 26 is at that time directly above the chamber 11.

Above the treater structure and in radial alignment. with the chamber 11 are supported for reciprocal up and down movement a plurality of rods 29 carrying at their lower ends brushes or sweepers 30. The. rods are preferably suspended in pairs (see Fig. 5) from a cross arm 31 which in turn is carried upon a rod 32 slidably mounted in guides 33. The rods 29 pass through a guide support 34 suitably mounted adjacent the treater. The brushes 30 are so formed that they pass readily by the arm 14 and sweep the walls of the pipes 12 and the surface of the discharge electrodes 13. There is, of course, considerable latitude in the design of the brushes.

The mechanism for intermittently rotating the treater and for operating the cleaning device while the treater is at rest may assume various forms. As a practical arrangement for carrying out the cycle of operation I propose the following:

A motor 35 carries upon its shaft a worm 36 designed to cooperate with a worm gear 37 to rotate the crank disk 38. The crank disk 38 is operatively connected through the connecting rod 39 with the arm 40 having pivotal movement upon a shaft 41 upon which are mounted independently of each other the ratchet wheels 42 and 43. The arm 40 carries pawls 44 and 45 oscillating with the arm 40 in an are about the center bf shaft 41. The pawls 44 and 45 and the ratchet wheels 42 and 43 are so related that the latter are alternately rotated in opposite directions. The ratchet wheel 42 and the gear 46 rotate with the shaft 41 while the ratchet wheel 43 and the gear 47 are mounted to revolve together about shaft 41.

The gear 46 meshes with the gear 48 to rotate the shaft 21. The gear: 47 meshes with the bevel gear 49 carried by the shaft 50 to rotate the crank disk 51. To the disk 51 is connected the connecting rod 52 which is coupled with the rod 32.

The operation briefly stated is as follows:

The gearing of the operating mechanism is such-that the intermittent movement of the ratchet wheel 42 successively moves the treater through an angle of 30 degrees or in general through an angle depending on the number of treater sections. When the treater comes to rest, the ratchet wheel 43 imparts to the rods 29 a reciprocating movement down into the pipes and back again so that the rods 29 are again at rest above the treater when ratchet wheel 43 stops. The ratchet wheel 42 is then again moved to bring another treater section in alignment with the chamber 11 etc. When a treater section is in this position, it is electrically isolated from the other sections and also isolated from the gas stream through the walls 27 and 23 so that the cleaning operation can take place without in the least interfering with the operation of the precipitator.

It may be found desirable to balance the weight of the cleaning device by a counter-' weight on the crank disk 51 or by other suitable mechanism.

1 claim:

1. The combination of an electrical precipitator comprising a collecting electrode and a discharge electrode. means normally disposed outside the operative part of the precipitator, constructed and arranged to sweep over the surface of the collecting electrode. mechanism for operating said means and for automatically interrupting the electrical connection to the precipitator during the sweeping motion.

2. The combination of an electrical precipitator comprising a collecting electrode and a discharge electrode, means, normally disposed outside the operative part of the precipitator, constructed and arranged to sweep over the surface of both the collecting electrode and the discharge electrode, mechanism for operating said means and for automatically interrupting the electrical con nection to the precipitator during the sweeping motion.

The combination of a multiple-unit electrical precipitator. an electrode cleaner normally disposed outside the operative part of the precipitator and means for moving one relatively to the other to successively bring the precipitator units and the cleaner in alignment and means for operating the cleaner when it is in alignment with a unit.

4. The combination of a multiple-unit electrical precipitator, an electrode cleaner normally disposed outside the operative part of the precipitator, means for intermittently moving one relatively to. the other to successively bring the precipitator units and the cleaner in alignment and means for intermittently operating the cleaner during the intervals of rest. 7

5. The combination of a multiple-unit electrical precipitator. an electrode cleaner normally disposed outside the operative part of the precipitator, means for intermittently moving one relatively to the other to successively brin the precipitator units and the cleaner in alignment, means for intermittently operating the cleaner during the cleaner relatively to one another to successively bring the cleaner into alignment with each treater unit and means in the manifold for preventing the flow of gas to each treater unitwhen it is in alignment with the cleaner. 7. The-combination of an electric precipitator having a plurality of treater units, a manifold for passing gas to the treater units, an electrode cleaner, positioned outside the operative part of the precipitator for cleaning one of the treater units, means for intermittently shifting the precipitator and the cleaner relatively to one another to successively bring the cleaner into alignment with each treater unit, means in the manifold for preventing the flowof gas to each treater unit when it is in alignment with the cleaner and means for automatically interrupting the electrical connection to each treater unit when it is in alignment with the cleaner. I

8. The combination of an electric precipitator having a plurality of treater units, a manifold for passing gas to the treater units, an electrode cleaner, positioned putside the operative part of the precipitator for cleaning one of the treater units, means for intermittently operating the cleaner, a separate compartment in the manifold for preventing flow of gas to a treater unit, and forreceiving the precipitate therefrom during the cleaning action, and means for shifting theprecipitator during the intervals between the cleauing operations to successively bring all the treater units into cleaning position. v

9. An electrical preeipitator comprising a stationary supporting structure, a plurality of'treater units movably mounted upon said structure, means for passing the gas to be treated through the treaterunits, an electrode cleaner in fixed relation to'fithe precipi-- tator and positioned to clearf the treater units when they are successlvely moved in alignment with it.

10. An electrical precipitator comprising a plurality of treater units, ,a manifold structure for movably supporting the said treater units and for passing the gas to he trcal'edtherethrough, an electrode cleaner, means for periodically moving the. treater units to successivelyliring them in alignment with the cleanef and mcausfor operating the cleaner when a treater unit is in alignment therewith.

11. An electrical precipitator comprising a plurality of treater units in circular arrangement, a'manifold structure for passing the gas to be treated through the treater units, means for revolubly supporting the treater units upon the manifold structure, an electrode. cleaner in fixed position adjacent the treater units, means for periodically moving the treater units to successively bring them in alignment with the cleaner and means for operating the cleaner when a treater unit is in alignment therewith.

12. An electrical precipitator comprising a plurality of treater units in circular arrangement, a manifold structure for passing the gas to be treated through the treater units, means for revolubly supporting the treaterunits upon the manifold structure,

an electrode cleaner. in fixed position ad.- jacent the treater units, means for periodically moving the treater units to successively bring them in alignment with the cleaner, means foroperating the .cleaner when a treater unit is in alignment therewith and means for interrupting the electrical con-. nection' to 'each' treater unit when it is in alignment withthe cleaner.

13. An electrical precipitator comprisin a plurality of treater units in circular ar rangement, a manifold-structure for passing the gas to be treated through the treater units, means for revolubly supporting the treater units upon the manifold structure,

an electrode cleaner in fixed} position a.djacent the treater units, means or periodically moving the treater units to successivelybring them in'alignment with the cleaner,

means for operatlng the cleaner when a IO O treater unit is in alignment therewith, means for interrupting the electrical connection to each treater unit when itis in alignment.

with the cleaner and means for preventing the flow of gas through a treater unit When it is in alignment with the cleaner.

14. An electrical precipitator comprising a plurality of treater units in circular arrangement, a manifold structure for passing gas therethrough, means for revolublysupporting the treater units upon the manifold structure and electrical connections to the discharge electrodes including a fixed disk of conductin material having a notch in its periphery, a finger connected to each discharge electrode and having sliding contact along the periphery of the said disk.

15. An electrical precipitator comprising a plurality of treater units in circular arrangement, a manifold structure for passing gas therethrough, means for revolubly supporting the treaterunits upon the manifold structure, means in fixed position in the manifold and constructed and arranged to prevent the flow of gas into one of the thereon, discharge electrodes, disk carried by the frame, radial arms car ried by the disk for supporting the discharge electrodes, a disk of conducting material in fixed position above the frame, said disk having a notch in its periphery and fingers attached to the arms and positioned to have sliding contact along the periphery of the dis 1 18. In an electric precipitator, the combination with a discharge electrode and-a collecting electrode defining a treater unit, of

means, normally disposed outside ofv the treater unit and in axial alignment there- With, for cleaning the collecting electrode and means for moving the treater unit and the cleaning means relatively to each other to cause the cleaning means to move over the surface of the collecting electrode. 1-9. ,In an electric preciptator, the combination with a discharge electrode and a collecting electrode defining a treater unit, of means, normally dis osed outside the treater unit andin axial a ignment therewith, for

cleaning thecollectingelectrode and means for moving the cleaning means into and out of contact with the surface of the collecting electrode. I

20. In an electric precipitator, the combination of a plurality of treater units each including a discharge electrode and a colover the surfaces of the collecting electrodes.

21. In an electric preciptator, the combination of a plurality of treater units each including a discharge electrode and a collecting electrode, means, normally disposed outside the precipitator structure, for clean ing the collecting electrodes of the treater units and means for moving the cleaning means into and out of contact with the surface of the collecting electrode of a treater unit and means for successively bringing the different treater units within the sphere of action of the cleaningcdevice.

22. In an electric precipitator, the combination with a discharge. electrode and a collecting electrode definin means, normally disposed outside the treater unit, and in alignment therewith, for clean ing the collecting electrode and means for periodically moving the collecting electrode and the cleaning means relatively to each other for carrying out the cleaning operation.

In testimony whereof, I- aflix my signature.

. MYRON P. LAUGHLIN.

a treater unit, of. 

